. >> -- ask about military strategy or how a troop drawdown in afghanistan would affect them. no. they ask whether they would pay for republicans to force the united states government to stop paying its bills. a region that has been rocked by violence and plagued by suicide bombers this month and wondered how they would take care of their families if the checks stopped coming next month. let me read a little bit of that that came out yesterday. "half a world away from the capitol, capitol hill deadlock, the debt crisis weighs heavily on troops in afghanistan. and the top question on their minds saturday, even as bombings rocked the city around them, was one a top united states military officer couldn't answer -- will we get paid?" admiral mullen went on to say, "i don't know the answer to that question. but either way, those soldiers, all of you must continue to work every day." this is really unacceptable. a country as rich and powerful as ours, men and women with bombs going off arnold them, shouldn't wonder if this country would leave them high and dry. this afternoon i've aske